In the electronic sensing market, there are a wide variety of sensors for sensing objects at a given location. Such sensors are configured to sense detectable and/or measurable characteristics of an object in order to sense the presence of an object near or about the sensor and other features and characteristics of the object being sensed. Such “sense characteristics” may include a variety of detectable characteristics, such as electronic, electromagnetic, ultrasonic, thermal, optical characteristics, among others.
It is now common to see fingerprint sensors installed on devices such as smartphones. A fingerprint sensor installed on a smart phone can be used to verify the identity of the user. The fingerprint sensor can also be used as a data entry or a control mechanism for the smart phone. For example, the fingerprint sensor can detect a position of the finger on its surface and translate the position of the finger as an instruction to select a function of the smart phone or to navigate within menus being displayed by the smart phone.
As fingerprint sensors are gaining in recognition and user acceptance, fingerprint sensors are finding use in numerous other devices such as a smart cards, fitness monitors, wearables, domestic and industrial appliances, automotive components, and internet of things (IOT) devices. Some devices, such as smart cards and IOT devices, have limited to no user interfaces or status indicators such as screens, speakers, LEDs, and audio signals. Such devices may also have limited to no user input mechanisms in order to receive user input due to an absence of a keyboard, switches, buttons, and levers.
Accordingly, there is a need for a fingerprint sensor installed on a device with limited ability to provide feedback to or obtain instructions from a user wherein the fingerprint sensor provides a data entry or a control mechanism for the device. The fingerprint sensor may have a prime purpose of verifying the user's identity, but can also function as convenient way to control or enter data into a device with limited ability to provide feedback to or obtain instructions.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,129,926 “Navigation Tool,” the respective disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, describes a navigation tool for connecting to a display device, comprising at least two sensor elements having known positions relative to each other, each sensor element being coupled to detector means for recording a change in a predetermined parameter and timing means for determining the time of change at each sensor element and calculating means for calculating the direction and speed of the recorded changes based on the relative positions of the sensor elements and the duration between the recorded changes.
International Patent Application No. PCT/NO02/00468, “Navigation Concept,” the respective disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, describes an electronic unit, and method for providing input to the electronic unit, the unit comprising a sensor being capable of sensing direction of a movement over the sensor, and the method comprising the steps of: sensing the direction of a movement, categorizing the sensed direction into a chosen number of categories, said categories each being related to one or more signs, e.g., characters, on the ending of said movement, providing the related sign or command to the electronic unit as input.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014-0300574 “Biometric Sensing” the respective disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, describes a dual grid touchscreen with clusters of drive and pick up lines resulting in an impedance sensor that operate in dual resolution processing modes, i.e., in low or high resolution mode, in order to track motion of an object creating a touch input.